Bristol Community Church Blog

Who's Leading Who?

2010-03-19T11:45:00.003Z

The Psalms celebrate God's sovereignty, not just His omnipotence. One of the key themes being taught in BCC by Pastor John at this time is the need to integrate God's sovereignty into our lives and worldview. It is so easy for Christianity to slip into a human-made affair whereby we make something that simply meets our needs and does what we want. This is not a genuine expression of biblical revelation but a hideous, consumer-driven, man-made abomination masquerading as something more than it is. It is the equivalent of trying to put God on a lead.

In the book The Supremacy of Christ in a Post Modern World, Voddie Baucham Jr. makes a profound observation about the current state of this world (p.64), "The problem with the world is me. The problem is the fact that I not acknowledge the supremacy of Christ in truth. The problem is that I start with myself as the measure of all things. I judge God based upon how well he carries out my agenda for the world, and I believe in the supremacy of me in truth. As a result, I want a God who is omnipotent but not sovereign. If I have a God who is omnipotent but not sovereign, I can wield power. But if my God is both omnipotent and sovereign, I am at his mercy" (emphasis added).

How easy it is for self to elevate itself and displace God as Lord in our lives! How many of the so-called 'Words from God" peddled by Christian leaders are no more than thinly veiled projections of their own desires to run life their way; it's dupes gullible Christians because it is dressed up in an attractive religious package. Let's remind ourselves of the most well-known prayer of all times: The Lord's Prayer...Matthew 6:7-13 (The Message)

"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; do what's best— as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You're in charge! You can do anything you want! You're ablaze in beauty!"

It's the final line which states that God is in charge and He can do anything He wants; He is both omnipotent AND sovereign. God is not here to serve us, we are here to serve Him. Using the spiritual weapons of repentance and God's Word (the sword of the Spirit), look into your own life today and seek out and destroy any aspect of self that needs to be put to death. Don't let it lead your revelation otherwise you will be turning God into nothing more than a poodle on a lead...

Psalm Alarm

2010-03-18T09:53:00.003Z

At 7am on Tuesday I sent a text to all of Energy. It did not bless them as most of them were a) still asleep and b) had not put their mobile phones on silent. In that text I reminded them that we were going to be meeting in LIFE Groups and they needed to prepare by reading Psalm 19. These Groups stand for 'Living In Faith Everyday' and are same-sex groups that give us space to go deeper into God, build stronger friendships with one another and generate a sense of belonging to BCC.

As we gathered in our LIFE groups, I'd planned a session taking another look at worship. At this time, the worship in BCC is exploding in some very powerful and exciting ways. God is truly inhabiting the praises of His people. I wanted to remind the young people about the 'basics' so they too can understand what we do and why we do it. We reflected on three key learning points:

1. Worship is for life not just for Sunday
Romans 12:1-2 (The Message) says, "So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering.”

2. Everyone is made to worship (Matthew 22:37). It is not a case of IF we worship but WHAT we worship. Some people dedicate their lives to particular things or people, pouring out endless time, money and effort in the pursuit of this life. These gods can vary from sex to money to being liked to a sport to music to on-line game playing and so on. The list is endless. However, what this shows is that inbuilt in the heart of every human being is the desire to worship. The problem is, this urge is directed in the wrong direction.

3. Worship is about us loving God for Who He is and what He’s done. It is not simply singing a song (although that can be an expression of worship), but about worthship i.e. according to God a true sense of worth and value for who He is and what He's done. It always centres on Christ; it begins and ends with Him.

The Psalms are poems/songs of praise: "Psalm" literally means 'song' and there are 150 Holy-Spirit inspired songs of praise offering up to God complete devotion and love despite some extremely difficult circumstances. Expressing the songs of praise is an important part of our worship lives to God. Ephesians 5:19-20 (The Message) "Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ." Today, we too can sing new songs to God that come out of our own heart and lives of love and devotion to Him. Obviously they are NOT scripture but putting into words the overflow of our hearts is both biblical and beneficial.

On Tuesday night, we asked the LIFE Groups to put together their own simple 'psalm' to God. Here is what the boys came up with...

A PSALM OF ENERGY
Thanking the Lord for Our Gifts
Awesome God, you equip us to act your will for our lives.
Your imagination knows no end; each gift unique.
We thank you that you fill us up and we can share your word.
We need you God, in us to guide us.
Thank you Lord that you forgive us from our sins.
I thank you that you joyfully make us each unique.
Without you we wouldn't exist. Without you we would be lost.
We thank you that through our gifts, we can speak out to all the nations.
Jesus you rule over all things.
We pray that you will enhance our gifts to the full ... Amen ...

Have you sent up a fresh psalm of praise to the Lord today? Are you obeying Ephesians 5:19 and singing those new songs to God as an expression of your love and devotion to Him? Maybe it's time to do it again ...

Here Is Love...In Asda's Car Park!

2010-03-16T10:07:00.002Z

Yesterday, the new worship album from Bethel Church in Redding California arrived through my letter box. Based on a recommendation from a couple of friends in BCC, I was looking forward to hearing it. I needed to pop down to Asda to get a few things and decided to listen to it on my way down there in my car. I got to the car park and had to sit and wait for 15 minutes, such was the force of God's presence all over me in my seat. I was crying and a spirit of praise and worship and repentance came over me as He met me in that car park.

Just to be clear, this CD is not some sort of 'magic potion' that we can turn on. It simply opened my heart in worship to God and from that place He moved deep within my soul. Christians are far too gullible and demonstrate a classically post-modern, consumerist attitude as we all rush out and buy 'the Next Big Thing', expecting this book, or that CD or those conferences or that preacher will somehow make us 'better' Christians. No, it all begins and ends in the heart of the believer. Thank God that we have access to so many resources to help us in our faith but don't be a victim of marketing and exercise some discernment about who you read and what you listen to!

We all have challenging seasons and there are times when God steps back to see if we will step up. In my readings of the Psalms, I have noticed how often the writers are 'stepping up' and looking for God to move on their behalf; what is startling is the attitude in which they do this: it is not arrogant but it is very direct, firm and passionate.

Psalm 46:1-2 (Amplified) says, "God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains be shaken into the midst of the seas, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling and tumult. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!"

As I sat in my car in that car park, God proved once again that what He says is true: He is "very present". You can't make God meet you. But I know He longs to and delights in intimacy that transcends a hurried prayer or snatched bible reading. No, A god who is not 'very present' in our lives is no god at all.

Thank you God for meeting me again and drawing from me something that, I believe, really blessed your heart.

The Narrow Path

2010-03-15T13:15:00.002Z

Yesterday was another powerful time as we gathered to worship God and see what He wanted to do. The Church was packed and it warmed up in there pretty quickly - I got pretty hot and sweaty during the worship time! We are getting some new people coming along to see what we are up to and I also loved having the kids around (there are over 50 in the Sunday School these days!) who presented all the ladies with a bunch of daffs at the end of the meeting.

God is building up a momentum in our corporate meetings and all but the most hard-hearted fail to be touched and ministered to by His presence either in the worship, preached word or times of ministry (for example, once again we faithfully prayed for the sick).

Pastor John's message was particularly relevant and tied in with a book I've just started to dip into: a collection of essays edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor under the title of The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World. Using Jesus' teaching on the narrow and wide paths in Matthew 7, Pastor John (Maskell not Piper!) drew from Acts 4:32-35 some valuable insights into how these early believers were prepared by the Apostles to live on that narrow path, a daily continuous series of Holy Spirit-led choices and not just a 'one off' salvation encounter, and to face and endure the inevitable persecution which dispersed those first century Christians. You can listen to the whole message online now, if you wish (I'd recommend it) http://www.bristolcommunitychurch.org/podcasts.asp

What resonated with me is the juxtaposition between those early disciples and the Church in the 21st Century. David Wells writes in the above mentioned book (p,34), "Despite the few who wobbled, most of its [i.e. the early church] leaders maintained with an admirable tenacity the alternative view of life which was rooted in the apostolic teaching. They did not allow love to blur truth or to substitute for it but sought to live by both truth and love."

Many of us fail to walk the narrow road because we lack proper preparation from God's word (both in body, mind and soul) and turn instead to a cultural worldview that, in essence, completely opposes The Truth. This theological profanity is running rampant in our churches. Wells again observes (p.38), "The final verdict may not be in, but it seems quite apparent that while the culture is burning, the evangelical church is fiddling precisely because it has decided it must be so like the culture to be successful."

We are committed to pursuing Biblical truth and Kingdom love. We must resist this creeping post-modernity that masquerades as 'new revelation' and using the God's Word, drill down into it so we can expose it for what it is: a man-made religion that simply creates a god who accommodates who we are and what we want.

All Change

2010-03-12T09:27:00.002Z

Life is one season of change after another. Everything changes and unless we have a mindset that embraces this, we will struggle. One of the things I enjoy about youth work is how quickly they change; you see them grow and mature and move from childhood to adulthood in a short space of time and quite often their revelation of God changes as they do! No change is easy and when we talk about teenagers we even talk of 'growing pains', such is the profound affect of this process on their lives. Change can be viewed as negative or positive; a time of opportunity to embrace the new thing in our lives or to cling to the security of the past with all its pitfalls and problems. Think of the Israelites who embarked on one of the most intense and dramatic journeys of change ever ... a whole generation did not make it. Think of some of the Psalms and the scale of change affecting the lives of the writers of those songs of faith ... worship was often the place from which they could handle such deep and profound changes in their lives.

Change can be on a corporate level as well as on an individual basis; whole nations can be facing serious change and empires have fallen because of an inability to manage these times - the UK being a case in point! In my 18 years of being in BCC I have seen a lot of changes! I am a very different person now than I was when I first attended the Church as a law student back in 1992. We are meeting in a totally different place! There are many, many new people in the Church who were not here 15 years ago. God has done some truly awesome things because we have co-operated with His work of change in our lives. The Bible makes clear that our whole lives should be punctuated and characterised by Holy Spirit change in our lives as we are transformed into His likeness: 2 Cor 3:18, "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

Today is no exception and we are moving into an exciting time of change as BCC grows and matures. There are new leadership structures coming online including a wider pastoral team to serve and minister to the Church. As I have been reflecting on all this, I was reminded of Pastor Paul Taylor's prophecy back in October 2008. In it he saw four prophetically significant pictures including one of an air balloon. He said, "God is bringing about change that will enable you as a Church to go and fulfil all that He purposed for you. A breaking away of all hindrances and restrictions - that will enable the balloon to not just go up but to fly as the wind blows and directs its journey. Over these next 2 years, I heard Him say - out of the current leadership - NEW LEADERSHIP FOR THE NEW THINGS - will be released and developed for the new territory to be taken. I heard the Lord say, NEW WINE SKINS, for they will be formed - pliable and flexible for the NEW WINE that is being poured out."

It is reassuring to know that change is always subordinated to God's sovereignty; He rules over all and the truth of this brings us great peace and certainty as circumstances and situations change around us. His rule is the compass by which we set our course through this never ending cycle of change and we can be excited about all that is to come because God is good and nothing can ever change that.

Have a great weekend, don;t forget the Saturday morning prayer meeting (7.30am) and a very Happy Mothers' Day to all you Mums out there! See you back here on Monday.

Girls of God

2010-03-11T11:04:00.002Z

Last Friday, I drove four of the energy girls down to Croyde. They were with me for about 3 hours and when we arrived at St. George's House, it was clear to me that we have some very special young women of God in BCC. Despite living in this dark, sinful, filthy world, these girls were living for God. Their conversations were righteous and even when they were discussing some challenging situations or friendship issues, they did so in a way that did not offend my spirit. Their priority was not to lose their virginity as soon as possible or find their esteem and value in the arms of teenage boys who just view them as sexual objects there to satiate their own lustful desires, no, they knew who they were because their faith in Christ defines them. As well as being very pretty they also carried a spiritual beauty that is so different to what we see in current female youth culture.

On Saturday evening, Pastor John spoke about Mary (the mother of Jesus). It was clear that many of the girls and young women in Energy carried a similar prophetic attitude: to 'give birth' to the character of Jesus in their own lives and to see that impact the world in which they live. He invited them to come forward and they all did. As I saw this, I realised again that God is giving us an important job: to disciple these girls and help them become powerful women of God. This is not just 'women's work', i.e. only for the Mums and ladies in the Church but a prophetic job for all of us, men included. Mary was able to be all Jesus needed her to be through the support and commitment of Joseph. Just in case it had slipped your attention - he was a man.

Pray for the girls in Energy. Pray that we become those 'Josephs' in their lives; we have a revelation of who they are and what they will become, we protect and guard that divine call on their lives, we treat them in a Kingdom way never putting them down or using them for our own ends, we are willing to live sacrificially and we ably assist and support them so they can grow into all God.

p.s. sorry for the rather stereotypical image accompanying this blog entry but I was not going to put 'pretty teenage girls' in to Google: my Covenant Eyes Report would explode!!

Youth Weekend Away Part 2

2010-03-09T09:51:00.001Z

From the opening note of our worship time, the Saturday evening meeting began to flow with the life of the Holy Spirit. Pastor John shared about heaven and hell, drawing from the book Visions Beyond the Veil. It had a powerful impact on all of us and the meeting continued way past the official ‘end time’ as the young people sat and encountered God in a fresh way. We also spent time praying for the girls who wanted to become like ‘Mary’, an amazing woman of God who ‘gave birth’ to Jesus. Don’t worry, it has nothing to do with them getting pregnant!! No, it is a metaphor for growing and demonstrating Jesus’ life and love in their own lives and seeing this impact and influence the world around them. We have some very special girls in Energy, I’ll be doing a separate blog about this later in the week. The day came to an end as ‘Intro Matt’ made a welcome return and we had some fun and games as the youth tried to ‘Beat the Leaders’. All in all, the Leaders did pretty well!

Sunday dawned bright and sunny and full of the fresh mercies of God. We had a short time of worship and then Pastor John spent some time talking about sex and relationships with the older youth (Year 10+) whilst Sue and Alison did something a bit more ‘age appropriate’ with the younger ones. Referencing his message from the previous evening, he explained more about making choices that will help us enjoy ‘heavenly sex’ or ‘hellish sex’. The world has destroyed, damaged and demolished anything good relating to sex, relationships, marriage and more. Satan knows that this is one area in which human beings are vulnerable and he makes no allowances for teenagers! Pastor John’s message was powerfully prophetic but intensely practical as well and his words really hit home. The young people listened carefully and I knew that if they really caught hold of the revelation behind the words, they would truly grasp that God wants the best for them and that, through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, CAN walk a sexually pure life in this sexually immoral world.

As the weekend drew to an end, we finished with one of the ultimate expressions of unity and a rich means of grace to our lives: communion. We broke bread together and ministered to one another before sharing briefly something that God had done for each person over the course of the weekend; people had really entered their ‘promised land’.

Thanks to all of you for your prayer and support. Thanks also to the team who came and helped out, especially to our Friday night Taxi Driver (Marky P) and Kat and Jamie for chef and worship leading contributions respectively. Most of all, thank you to the Young People of BCC: it is a privilege to be your Pastor and see you grow up both in the natural and in the spiritual too. God has gifted me with some amazing teenagers and despite all your ups and downs, I can honestly say, I think I have the best job in BCC!

Youth Weekend Away Part 1

2010-03-08T09:29:00.003Z

Yesterday, the BCC Youth returned from our annual weekend away to meet God, hang out and have some fun. It was a truly special time and I’m going to do a two part Blog outlining, in a bit more detail, some of the highlights of the weekend. On Friday, twenty young people and assorted Leaders piled into a load of cars and our adventure began. We battled through a surprisingly clear M5 and stopped off at one of those ‘license-to-print-your-own-money’ service stations, for coffee and a toilet visit.

Although arriving in Croyde a bit later than usual, the young people were in good heart and after some dinner, our first meeting gently drew us into God’s presence as He embraced us in His arms of love. I briefly shared that this weekend was an important one in the purposes of God; we were entering a ‘promised land’ where God had something special for every single person but that would only be appropriated through spiritual boldness, unity and bringing Him into all we do (Proverbs 3:5-7).

I sensed that some of the youth were quite war-weary and battling with personal challenges. Young People have to live in a cynical, faithless world, they must continually secure victory over the temptations flaunted at them every day through the media, friends and teen culture. They must resist the lies of the enemy. Consistently living in that dark, godless society can create a bit of a ‘siege mentality’ and it took some time for their defences to come down and for them to soften and warm up. This was going to be a weekend of receiving from God and being refreshed by Him. Our job, like Aaron and Hur, was to hold up these young people so they could win their battles and possess the land (Exodus 17:10-13).

On Saturday, we had a short morning session and then went to Woolacombe to do some street evangelism. The faith of these young people never ceases to amaze me; every single one of them went out and there was not one word of complaint. God used them to share their faith and some prayed with people on the streets! Most importantly, we prayer-walked all the main streets in the town and ensured that the weekend contained prophetic focus on reaching the lost. Sometimes all God wants us to be is available, He will do the rest.

The afternoon was spent on the beach and out came the volleyball net as well as the coffee and packed lunches ably prepared by Chef Jamie (no…not that one). It was a bit chilly but we had a good time relaxing and running around. On our return to St. George’s House, Pastor John and Linda had arrived and the evening meeting was going to be a very powerful time….

More about that tomorrow!

Here Comes Croyde...

2010-03-04T15:21:00.003Z

Here it comes...our once-a-year-but-always-awesome youth residential. Tomorrow, 20 young people and a few leaders will be heading down the M5, destination: Croyde. This is our third visit to this amazing part of the world and expectations for the weekend are sky high, as they should be! It's easy to look back and reminisce about 'the good old days' and last year's trip culminated in a truly astounding meeting on the Friday night that ranks in my Top 3 All Time God Experiences EVER.

But that was last year and this is er...this year.

I was praying about this trip and felt the Lord remind me of the Israelites' travels that brought them to the cusp of the Promised Land. But whilst it was there, they still had to possess it. I believe this weekend sees us in a similar place: heading for an awesome time of blessing, abundance and outbreaks of God's Kingdom BUT we will have to fight for it and determine in our minds that we will take possession of all He has for us, regardless of the natural circumstances or challenging odds.

You can help though! Please pray for us and all those involved in taking us into this 'Promised Land'. We do have a plan for the weekend but, as is the hallmark of BCC, we aim to follow God's lead and if that means tearing up the plan and going 'cross country' then that is what we will do. Pray for all the practical matters including transport, protection, the food (always an important consideration when teenagers are involved!) and a powerful sense of spiritual unity.

I know it is going to be a really special time full of fun, happy memories, laughter, good times and encounters with God that take change us forever. We'll probably drink several gallons of coffee too...lol

Soaking Session

2010-03-04T13:41:00.003Z

Last week things got really busy. There is a lot going on at the moment and I'd got to the end of another day having been up very early in the morning for a prayer meeting. It was before homegroup and I had a choice: meet God or watch tv. I made the right choice. I turned off the tv and flipped open my Bible. I was finding things quite dry and hard to concentrate: I really wanted to dose off! However, time and time again I find God draws near to me when I reach out to Him and today was no exception. In that moment, I felt the Holy Spirit say, "lie down and soak in me". I was not convinced lying down when I was tired anyway was a good idea and thought it must be me telling myself what I wanted to hear! But no, those same words came to me again and I succumbed. I lay down on the floor, turned up my worship music and just soaked in the Holy Spirit.

There are times when we need to be actively in pursuit of God, there are times when we need to engage with steely determination and unwavering commitment. However, there are other times when we just need to sit at His feet, wait on Him and let Him fill us. As a Christian and someone involved in leadership, I need to be able to minister out of an overflow of God regardless of how I am feeling in myself. It is a lot easier to do that when I have something to give because I have received something from the Lord. He loves to meet us, fill us and minister to us. As I lay on the floor, eyes closed, resting and relaxing in God, I felt His presence and pleasure. My spirit prayed silent prayers and I let God get hold of my life in a fresh way.

On Tuesday, we had a youth meeting and after a busy evening of playing games (ankle ball), hearing God's word for our weekend away, praying, worshipping, deciding on some practical matters for Croyde and more, I was suddenly reminded about my 'soaking session' last week. Expecting only a few young people to take this opportunity to lie down on the floor and soak in God as we came around and ministered to them, I was pretty taken aback when all of them responded (except one). The whole atmosphere in the room changed and I knew we had found what God really wanted for us that evening. The next 20 minutes or so were spent just waiting on Him, letting Him move in our lives in whatever way He wanted.

Sometimes we need to soak. Go and run that spiritual bath today!

Time to Talk

2010-03-01T09:52:00.003Z

Phew, what a weekend! It was great to see the Church packed with people yesterday morning, at one point I think it was standing room only at the back! Once again, we were committed to praying for all those in pain, moved and motivated by the compassion of God. It was a powerful time. I loved hearing the many testimonies from people and Jaqui Steer did an outstanding talk that was thirty minutes of pure gold! Well done Jaqui - it takes a lot of nerve to get up in front of a packed church and speak. This week is going to be another full-on 7 days as we build up to the Youth weekend away which kicks off on Friday (more about that in a later blog entry) and Rin starts her new job here as BCC Office Manager and PA to Pastor John. As Jaqui said yesterday, walking with God is an adventure!

I dipped into another episode of 'Skins' last week and was going to turn it off at one point but was intrigued by something which really caught my attention: the programme was forcing its viewers to consider to whom they turn for help. One of the main characters was struggling with a serious metal health issue and it centred around her boyfriend (Freddie) who was trying to get advice and support, with varying degrees of success. He talked to a member of staff at school who then 'doubled up' as the School Counsellor (completely unethical by the way!), he talked to a family member and some friends too.

Society offers many different options for those who 'want to talk'. There are helplines galore, a plethora of 'Experts' all willing to offer you their advice on any given subject, support workers, charities and the more traditional forms of support from family and friends. I am a Counsellor and people come and tell me some of the most intimate details of our lives. Yet for the Christian, we have access to Someone Who can change things for the better. God can provide us with counsel quite unlike anyone and anything else. My study of the Psalms continues to illuminate my understanding of the very real help offered by God to those who find themselves in the worst possible scenarios. Psalm 19:7-9 (The Message) says,

"The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. God's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree."

When we turn to Him, this is what we access in our lives. For those of us who follow God, we need to ensure that we carry His counsel (as described in the above Psalm) into the lives of others. Sympathy, platitudes, well meaning advice and blind optimism a re all well and good buy it is God's revelation that makes a difference.

The Porn Storm Part 2

2010-02-26T10:03:00.002Z

Today's news is full of comment and analysis of some startling new research commissioned by the Home Office which explores the 'oversexualisation of children' in 21st Century Britain. Of particular concern is the way boys and girls, being exposed to a steady 'drip drip' of soft porn imagery, are being sexualised at a far earlier age than in previous generations. Through so-called, 'Lads Mags', the growing use of sex and sexual imagery in advertising targeting teens and pre-teens, computer games and the sheer volume of explicit, easily-accessible hardcore porn on the internet via WAP phones and home pcs, we now have children and young people viewing porn as 'the norm'. The results for their lives and for our culture as a whole are extremely damaging.

"Young girls wear "porn star" T-shirts and it is possible to buy babies' bibs with the slogan: "All daddy wanted was a ****job", according to Dr. Linda Papadopoulos (a clinical psychologist at London Metropolitan University and author of the report), "taboos have been pushed back so far. They are taking their script directly from pornography."

At this point, I would like to simply present the Bible's teaching on sex. Yes, this has been openly mocked and ridiculed by 'experts' for years; dismissed as 'restrictive and prudish' by so many sections of our liberal society who still want to live in the sexual revolution of the 1960s and cling to their own naive notion that 'freedom of speech' justifies the exposure of teens and pre-teens to a highly damaging sexual philosophy, even if it means they have to suffer for it.

Firstly, God is PRO sex. He designed men and women to 'fit together'! (Genesis 1:27 / 2:18-25)
Secondly, sex is more than biology: it carries with it a spiritual dynamic (Genesis 2:24 / Matthew 19:4-6).
Thirdly, it is an expression of commitment (the theological word is 'covenant') and is only appropriate in the context of marriage (i.e. a 'covenant' between a man and a woman). This is the place where such an ultimate expression of physical, emotional and spiritual intimacy can be appropriately and safely expressed.
Fourthly, sex is a gift not a god and unless handled in a righteous way (i.e doing what the Bible says), it will quickly take over and rule a person. Like all things, it has a context and when taken out of that biblical context, it becomes something it was never intended to be.

As a Youth Leader, it is my job to teach Truth. For me, the Bible has all we need to live life God's way here on earth. Through my words and my actions, my prayer is that we can help show young people the way forward so they too can live sexually pure lives in a world that advocates a sexual philosophy that, according to their own research, does more harm than good.

Have a good weekend, I'll see you back here on Monday.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/clamp-down-on-lads-mags-to-avoid-pornification-of-society-says-study-1911324.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8537734.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/feb/25/lads-magazines-restricted-home-office-study

Farewell Fran...

2010-02-25T11:28:00.002Z

After 20 years of working for this Church, Fran is leaving. Along with her husband Gerry, Fran was one of the 'original' couples who moved over to set up, what is now BCC, back in 1985. The 'Office' (a very grand title for one person and a typewriter!) began in someone's living room and there it remained until the Church began to grow and we moved into the King's Centre and then again into our current premises here in Kingswood. Fran set up all of those early systems, upon which so much of the church's administrative life now depends and was instrumental in delivering the main building and development projects that so many of us now enjoy. Much of her early support and admin work in Castaways has now born much fruit and significantly contributed to the strong position from which it ministers to over 25 000 customers every year.

I have worked for BCC since 1995 and I still remember that first day in the Office and the subsequent weeks of 'finding my feet' which was made all the more easier by Fran's help, support and er...patience! I know it's hard to believe but I do have some grumpy moments and there are times when I can feel the weight and responsibility of my work in the Church. All the while Fran has extended towards me abundant amounts of support and generosity of spirit, even when I have not reciprocated in kind.

It is important to honour those people who faithfully serve God, especially when that work is of a sacrificial nature. I know Fran wants God's reward and acclaim, not ours but we have much to thank her for in her diligent and fruitful service of this Church. There are very few people who are willing to stick out a job for more than two decades even when it is clearly given to them by God; faithfulness and longevity are highly underrated in the world but are key qualities for those in the Kingdom of God. As you will know, we presented her with a superb gold watch at last Sunday's meeting and her final week in the Office has been punctuated with well wishers, flowers, cards, cakes (!!) and more. On Tuesday we enjoyed a meal together with all the BCC office staff and tonight we mark her final day with a smaller, more intimate gathering of colleagues and friends to wish her a final farewell and relieve her of the Office keys, change the door codes and escort her off the premises (joke).

God never allows us to get comfortable and it is time for Fran to move onto something fresh that will challenge her faith and move her into the next stage of her walk with Jesus. She is not leaving the Church but instead will find a new place and new role as God continues to bless her, Gerry and the family in the weeks, months and years ahead.

Thank you Fran for all your work, we really thank God for you and all you have contributed to the life of this Church over 20 years.

200th Post

2010-02-18T10:20:00.004Z

This is my 200th post on the BCC BLOG! How time has flown since we kicked off this little written log of the life and times of Bristol Community Church back in January 2009. It has had over 4500 hits from the main website and combined with lots of readers via Face Book, you seem to like it! You never know who is watching? I've had comments from the official blogger at Covenant Eyes, a journalist from a Newquay newspaper and even a BBC Producer! Some of you have been kind enough to leave comments in that time and I do my best to publish them, even if they are a bit critical. Some don't make it through because they are just plain rude or silly!

All sorts of topics and issues have been covered in the previous 199 entries including some of the 'Over-2-u" sessions we did with the youth last Summer (the most read with nearly 300 hits), my thoughts on Newquay (another popular choice with nearly 100 hits), meeting summaries, book reviews, Faith Camp, Homegroups, Youth news and so much more.

As long as you want to read it, I'll keep doing it so thanks to all of you for your support and have a great day. Despite it being half term, we ARE meeting this Saturday morning for prayer (7.30am-9am in the Lounge) and our Sunday meeting begins at 10am as usual. I'll be back here in Blog Land on Monday. Until then...bye bye!

The Porn Storm

2010-02-17T08:38:00.004Z

Porn is a problem. That's a FACT. In an article called The Porn Trap written by Wendy Maltz in this month's Therapy Today Journal, she sketches out a picture that is highly disturbing. This is no religious zealot from the George W. Bush School of Sex Education but "an internationally recognised psychotherapist, sex therapist and author of numerous books on sexuality." Ironically, her message is not dissimilar from the message taught and trumpeted by the Church: porn is wrong both morally, emotionally and mentally. Maltz makes some startling observations and I include a potted summary here...

-The US regards pornography addiction as "our newest and most challenging mental health problem".
-Worldwide annual porn and porn-related revenues are in excess of $100 billion.
-Porn is increasingly cited as a reason for divorce and relationship breakdown.
-"Over time, more of my clients experiencing the impact of porn in their lives began using words and phrases usually associated with hardcore drug addiction." (p.15)
-"I never wanted to be out beating the drum against pornography. In the beginning of my career [as a Sex Therapist], if anyone had suggested I'd be here now, I'd have laughed at them. But from my own clients, my research and my personal experience, I've come to the conclusion that pornography is moving from an individual and couples' problem to a public health problem, capable of deeply harming the emotional, sexual and relationship well being of millions of men, women and children." (p. 16 emphasis added)
-Research done in 2009 amongst 1000 13-16 year olds in the UK found they were spending an average of one hour and 40 minutes a week (87 hours a year) looking at porn.
-"Porn stimulates the reward and pleasure centres in the brain, instantly and dramatically increasing the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with both sexual arousal and drug highs." (p.17)
-Despite the legal and personal risks involved, 19% of all teenagers are 'sexting' one another i.e the act of sending and/or receiving sexually suggestive, nude or nearly nude photos through texts and/or emails.

Two years ago, we did a series of comprehensive teachings with our Young People called "The Sex Factor." Covering key topics relating to sex and sexuality we sought to give a biblical worldview of what God has to say on areas such as dating, pornography, being a virgin, Internet safety and so on. Theses sessions were recorded and placed on a special page on our website. It has had 874 hits since then and continue to be accessed by parents and teenagers alike.
http://www.bristolcommunitychurch.org/factor.asp

Porn is a real problem for Christians and non-Christians alike. It is poison to the soul and unless handled with firmness, zeal and wisdom it will consume you and displace Christ as the Lord of your life. There are some obvious practical strategies available to help people (mainly men) struggling in this area... for example Covenant Eyes Software, accountability partners, the Word of God and careful choices about what we look at and think about. Honest, caring and non-judgmental responses are needed from those who stand with people seeking to be free in this area. Personally, I do not have Internet access on my phone, nor do I have it at home. Although I have FreeSat, all the 'adult content' channels have been deleted. Internet access is through my Office computer ONLY which is monitored by Covenant Eyes with Pastor Neil as my Accountability Partner. Too many of us can compromise and 'flirt' with this sort of stuff. 1 Cor 6:18 says we should 'flee from sexual immorality'. Joseph simply RAN from Potiphar's wife when she tried to seduce him away from living the way God wanted him to; he did not stay and pray!

Today the world is finding out what God has already made clear through His Word for centuries. We have the answer to this problem: Jesus.

Holy Hug

2010-02-16T12:21:00.003Z

Listen to these words form Psalm 13:5-6 (Message Version), "I've thrown myself headlong into Your arms - I'm celebrating your rescue. I'm singing at the top of my lungs, I'm so full of answered prayers." There are times when God simply embraces us with a holy hug. He grips us in His arms of love and simply enfolds us in the never-ending revelation of Who He is and what He's done for us through Christ.

His Holy Spirit reinforces this visceral encounter, Romans 8:15 (again from The Message Version) explains more, "This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa? God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children." An indulgent sugar daddy He is not, but we all need to know that touch of His presence in our lives, whatever our age, man and woman, boy and girl.

There have been moments when I can confirm the truth of this statement through the reality of my own life and walk with God. Sometimes, He ambushes me. I'm quietly minding my own business praying and worshipping, and then He suddenly breaks through and grips me with His love. When I became a Christian at 16 years old, standing at the front of Earl's Curt in London as Billy Graham preached the Gospel that I was flooded with Father love; He literally came down and embraced me in a tangible way.

Today I am a grown man. Yet I still need those Holy Hugs. I'm not advocating a silly, indulgent view of a Holy, Perfect God, but we must remember that we too, like the Psalmist, can throw ourselves headlong into the arms of God, knowing His love for us is both tangible, real and fuel for the fires of our faith. I'm not a great fan of meaningless, superficial hugs. Thankfully, neither is God and when He reaches down and embraces me, my soul sings once again and I am refreshed and ready to continue walking with Jesus.

Let Him do the same to you today.

Sounds of Silence

2010-02-15T10:41:00.002Z

I have noisy neighbours. For a number of months I have had to deal with their comings and goings at unsociable hours of the night and it came to a head last week when I confronted them and asked...well told them to be quiet! Silence and quiet is a precious commodity and in our very busy 24-7, never-ending, frenetic western world, it is rare to simply sit in silence. .

The Bible seems to position silence as an important dynamic in the lives of Christians. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God". 1 Kings 19:11-12 shows us that God's voice was not in the earthquake or the fire but a 'gentle whisper'. Luke 5:16 says, "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Our souls are bombarded with different 'voices' all telling us what to believe, how to live and where to go. TV, Newspapers, Internet, Face Book, per groups, 'Experts', Radio, music and so on will brainwash us unless we wash our brains in the Word of God: The Truth. Without stillness and silence, it is virtually impossible to hear God through it all.

At Saturday morning's prayer meeting, we spent 10 minutes in total silence. It was an amazing time of encountering God and a flow of Holy Spirit life began to pour into the meeting. The prayers which followed were truly inspired. Yesterday, Pastor Neil continued this theme as we spent the first few minutes as a whole Church in silence. Despite my initial lack of faith, I soon realised he had caught hold of a true Holy Spirit moment as different sections of the Church began to sing and lift their hearts to God. This released a powerful flow of Holy Spirit into the meeting and as a result, the worship exploded with power; we went to new places of His Presence.

Make time to enjoy the sound of silence this week. Let the Holy Spirit encounter you and lead you into an intimate moment with God. Don't run into His presence and talk at Him, filling the air with the sound of your own voice, instead come and wait in silence and be with Him as He draws near to you.

Esther Alexander @ BCC

2010-02-12T10:31:00.004Z

As you know, I’m running this year’s London Marathon to raise money for Zambian Orphans. I want to raise £2620 and I am excited that ESTHER ALEXANDER has agreed to come and do a charity gig on Friday 26 March 2010 from 19:30 to 21:30 at the Bourne Chapel, Waters Road, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 8BE.

Esther is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter and has worked with Sting’s producer Kipper and a host of internationally acclaimed performers including, LCGC, Ruby Turner, Steve Winwood and worship-leader Matt Redman.

She's kindly agreed to take to the stage for a special one-off, 'live and unplugged' concert and will be showcasing songs from her fourth mainstream album The Long Way Home, which combines the jazz / soul feel of Norah Jones and Beth Orton with a distinct pop twist that is gaining her increasing levels of attention in the music industry.

Esther said, “It’s just such a privilege to be involved in something that has huge potential to drastically improve innocent children’s lives… People can come and enjoy beautiful music knowing that they’re changing someone’s world.”

It should be a great evening so PLEASE COME ALONG AND SUPPORT THIS EVENT! Feel free to bring along any other friends and / or family. This is an ideal event for visitors too. Get in touch with me now via text/phone to get your tickets or email me: jhennah@hotmail.co.uk.

***Ticket prices: just £5 if bought in advance or £7.50 on the door and are available NOW!!***

For more information, check out:
http://joggerjames.blogspot.com/
http://www.aidinternational.net/
My Face Book group page (search ‘James Marathon 2010’)
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JamesH (you can donate online right NOW!)
http://www.myspace.com/estheralexandermusic
http://www.estheralexander.com/

The Forcefield of Faith

2010-02-12T09:59:00.003Z

Yesterday I watched Independence Day. Have you seen it? The film appeared in 1996 and starred Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum. It is a slick, pro-American, humanity vs. the universe, alien shoot 'em up and whilst it presents the USA as the only true leaders of the known globe *starts chanting "U-S-A, U-S-A" etc* , there was an image in it that really got me thinking: the aliens cannot be harmed due to the protective force field surrounding their space ships. This poses all sorts of problems for us pesky humans who have to resort to more devious methods to vanquish our foes...

This is image of being in a protective 'bubble' stayed with me. As mentioned previously on this Blog, I'm starting to work my way through the Psalms. Yesterday, I got to Psalm 511-12. Using The Personalised Promise Bible, I re-read it in The Amplified Version:

"But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy, because You make a covering over them and defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits. For You, Lord, will bless the [uncompromisingly] righteous [him who is upright and in right standing with You]; as with a shield, You will surround him with goodwill (pleasure and favour)"

Take a minute to let the truth of those verses sink in; no matter what is happening, you dwell within His protective 'force field' of grace and favour. Nothing and no-one can touch you that is not permitted by God or allowed in through your own lack of faith or belief in His Word. Faith in God brings a security, peace and joy in life, regardless of what we are going through. I love that fact that we can be in 'high spirits' if we activate the requirements of this verse and outwork it where we are through faith. As I have been meditating on these verses and speaking them over my life, it has strengthened me and I can feel that 'force field' around me. I have wanted to shout for joy, sing and manifest those 'high spirits' because of this amazing place of blessing and provision.

As we begin another weekend, review those verses again and let God carry you away on the waves of praise and joy, raising your spirits and filling you with peace, as those words are applied and outworked in your life.

A Psalm A Day Helps You Work, Rest and Pray

2010-02-11T10:47:00.002Z

Reading is not cool. I've worked with teenagers for long enough to know that given a choice, most lads simply can't, won't or don't read for pleasure. Clearly, there is nothing wrong with going out, playing sport, being active and so on so please don't misunderstand what I am saying. What we must understand, however, is a generation of non-readers is fertile soil for spiritual deception and anaemic, lifeless Christianity. God has given us the Bible. It is His word to us and comes in the form of... a book. To access it you must read it.

Yes, there is a role for teaching, preaching, discipleship and more but foundational to a healthy, passionate, fulfilling Christian life is a sound grasp of and love for God's Word: The Bible. I have heard of testimonies from people who hate reading but once they become a Christian, they simply cannot get enough of the Bible; it comes to life in their hands as they sit down and read it, the words on the page seem to 'click' ins their minds and they understand what God is saying. I am a firm believer in praying and believing that young people with an antipathy towards reading whether that be from dyslexia, learning difficulties or just a basic lack of interest in books and words, can have their desires transformed and can experience a genuine love for the Bible. However, I also think we need to help with some practical strategies.

After spending four months in Numbers, this week I started reading through the Psalms. I love the Psalms; they are full of real, 'rubber-hits-the-road' faith experiences, finding God in the midst of darkness and difficulties and plenty of power praise and prayers exploding from within the hearts of the authors all wrapped up in a few short verses (mostly). I intend to read through a couple of Psalms a day and using both my ESV Study Bible, The Message version and my Personalised Promise Bible, soak in the revelation of these truly amazing faith songs. I know Pastor John is reading through a Psalm a day and it would be good to join with him in this excellent endeavour. During this week's Energy meeting I invited any young people wanting to be a bit more disciplined in their Bible readings to do the same: read a Psalm or two every day and use it as a springboard to spending time with God.

A religious activity this is not. No, it's a simple way to get the dust of your Bible and open up the cover. It's a practical first step in seeking to generate a deeper love for and commitment to His Word. Don't despise the day of small things! It may be that you would like to join in with this plan and commit to reading a couple of Psalms a day. If your children are in Energy, you may want to talk it through as a family and do it together. Don't get too legalistic about it, instead ask God to speak to you as you work your way through. I also encourage any of you out there who are not really readers to pray and ask God to change your desires in relation to His word. You don't have to become a bookwork, just ask Him to help you read the Bible. The results may change your life...

The God Squad

2010-02-09T10:01:00.003Z

I was looking through some old school reports of mine from 1984 the other day. On the whole they were pretty positive really; good at the usual stuff, no surprises as I look at who I am as a person today, but my PE reports were always rather, well, average. Mr. Brown (quite a kindly PE Teacher who did his best to encourage me at the time) wrote, "James participates enthusiastically and energetically in all activities. He has shown some athletic ability but needs to concentrate on the acquisition of ball skills if he is to progress as a games player. Grade: C1" I have never been much of a footballer and I still remember the horrors of always being one of the last to be picked for the football teams.

After four months, I have finally completed my study of Numbers and I am now settling down to work my way through Psalms. I won't be using a commentary this time, I just want to read them as they are and see how God speaks to me. Yesterday I got to Psalm 4 and verse 3 really stood out to me as I pondered on those PE days, "Look at this: look who got picked by God! He listens the split second I call to him." This is from The Message version and the truth behind this verse sunk in deep. I have been chosen to be on God's Team. He looked at everyone else available and chose me. The Bible makes clear that we don't pick God, He chooses us and for good reason: to be chosen is an indicator of importance, to be chosen is an expression of value and commitment, to be chosen is also a reminder of Who is in charge.

Today, God chooses you. Thank God that even though you don't deserve it, He reaches out anyway and embraces you as a child and a fully qualified heir to His Kingdom. What a truly privileged position and what a wonderful God!

Weekend Work Out

2010-02-08T10:07:00.006Z

We had an excellent weekend with Greg Downes. He spoke at Contend on Friday evening and addressed the topic of 'Men And Work.' There were about 40-50 men present and we had an outstanding session as we learned more about the artificial divide between 'secular' and 'sacred' ministry and how this barrier needs to be broken down in our own minds. All work is for God and a form of ministry that goes beyond the view that Vicars / Pastors etc 'minister' whilst everyone else 'works'!

Saturday morning began as usual with our regular prayer meeting and then Greg facilitated a 'prophetic evangelism' session for about 25 people who had turned up, including some of the youth. He provided a sound biblical framework and offered practical tips and insight from his on experience. We prayed and asked for some words of knowledge and then headed out to Kingswood to see what God wanted to do. I think it would be fair to say that some of us were feeling a little bit apprehensive, but as Greg said, that's quite a healthy reaction when we move from the 'Comfort Zone' to the 'Kingdom Zone'. Quoting John Wimber, we were reminded that 'Faith' is spelt 'R-I-S-K' and off we went!

I had an amazing conversation with the first person I met and despite having a word of knowledge that turned out to be wrong (??!!), we still had an excellent conversation for 10 minutes and I prayed for her at the end! Things did not go so well in Sainsbury's as I tried to open a conversation with one of the checkout assistants and was greeted with a rather icy silence! As we reconvened after our 45 minute street session, there were many encouraging stories of how God's Kingdom had been breaking into Kingswood all through our simple obedience. One lady actually became a Christian on the streets and even though most other people did not see specific salvation encounters, we knew God's presence was working through us and impacting the lives of many; people just seemed to open and up and want to talk to us as we showed some care and interest in their lives.

Yesterday's meeting was another great time, full of amazing testimonies and the life-changing power of Jesus Christ. One testimony in particular really moved me as a BCC Member shared how he had struggled with his own childhood and school life only to see God's faithfulness to his daughter who secured a 7 year 70% scholarship to a top Bristol school. He was in tears at God's goodness. So were most of us.

Greg preached on the subject of 'What Does God Require of Us?" Using Luke 5:1-11, he explained that God requires us to follow Christ and this passage of Scripture contained four further pointers that developed this answer in a highly practical way: 1) Christ calls us to obedience (Luke 5:4-6), 2) Christ calls us to holiness (Luke 5:7-8), 3) Christ calls us to mission (Luke 5:9-10) and 4) Christ calls us to sacrifice (Luke 5:11). This point really came home to me as it resonated with something I'd been thinking about in the week: it's all about Jesus and not about me. Greg said, "Sacrifice is the missing ingredient of contemporary discipleship" and I flt Holy Spirit really challenge me again about the levels of sacrifice in my own life; not from obligation but devotion. Greg's message is available as a download from our website, click on the link at the bottom of this page.

It was a great joy and privilege to have Greg minister to us; he is a man with whom we can do Kingdom business and I received a great deal from his time with us. Thanks for coming Greg and thank you God for giving us such an excellent weekend.

http://www.bristolcommunitychurch.org/podcasts.asp

Get Downes On It

2010-02-04T16:09:00.002Z

We are in for a treat this weekend: Greg Downes is coming. After studying for a degree in Social Policy and Administration, Greg did a PGCE in Religious Education at Cambridge before becoming the acting head of RE at the Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith. May 2009A brief stint followed as John Stott's study assistant before reading Theology at Oxford and being ordained as an Anglican priest. Since ordination Greg has been a curate in High Wycombe, Senior Chaplain of HMP & YOI Ashfield near Bristol, Tutor in Evangelism at the London School of Theology (during which time he was an associate minister at St. Andrew's Chorleywood) and a chaplain at Oxford University. He is now heads the Watford School of Leadership and invests a great deal of his life in teaching, training and modelling a truly prophetic, Kingdom-focused life in the UK and overseas.

Greg visited BCC back in 2009 and his own life and love for God resonated deeply with out own. We are delighted to welcome him for a full weekend of ministry:

Friday 5 February: Contend (BCC Men's Ministry). Greg will be speaking on "Men at Work". There will also be food of a different sort (curry), plus worship and a time to catch up with the other guys. Visitors and Guests are most welcome but let us know ASAP!

Saturday 6 February: Prophetic Evangelism Workshop from 10am - 12pm. Meet at the King;'s Rooms for a brief practical session before going into Kingswood to put it into practice! **Please note** The morning prayer meeting will run as usual from 7.30am to 9am.

Sunday 7 February: Greg will be preaching during our morning meeting so please make every effort to attend - it's going to be an excellent time.

The Miners of Kingswood

2010-02-04T10:25:00.003Z

George Whitefield, one of the greatest preachers and evangelists ever, was regularly refused access to Churches; he was viewed as deceived, subversive and unorthodox. Instead, he would simply go and find big open spaces and begin to preach. It was not uncommon for 10 000+ people to be in attendance, many of whom would never grace the presence of their local Churches. In 1789, he came to Bristol and this is what happened...

"I hasted to Kingswood. At a moderate computation, there were above 10 000 people. The trees and hedges were full. All was hush when I began. The sun shone bright and God enabled me to preach with great power, and so loud, that all, I was told, could hear me...To behold such crowds standing together in such awful silence, and to hear the echo of their singing run from one end of them to the other was very solemn and striking...The gladness and eagerness with which these poor despised outcasts, who had never been in a church in their lives, received the truth, is beyond description! Having no righteousness of their own to renounce, they were glad to hear Jesus, who was the friend of publicans and came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. The first discovery of their being affected was to see the white gutters made by their tears, which plentifully fell down their black faces; black as they came out of the coal-pits. Hundreds and hundreds of them were soon brought under deep conviction, which as the event proved, ended in a sound and thorough conversion." (Taken from The Life and Time of George Whitefield by Robert Philip p.103-104).

The Kingswood Miners were no friend of itinerant preachers; "the colliers were numerous and utterly uncultivated. They had no place of worship. Few ventured to walk even in their neighbourhood; and when provoked they were the terror of Bristol" (op. cit. p.101)

I loved reading about this for a number of reasons. Firstly, God has done it before and it reminds me He'll do it again. Secondly, true, anointed preaching DOES change lives. People who seek to undermine the role of proper preaching and teaching in our Churches and across the Nation should learn from the likes of Whitefield. We do not need to water down the true Gospel to accommodate people. We do not need to resort to silly story telling, homiletic gimmicks or life coaching lectures. No, anointed preachers will produce anointed preaching which, under the power of Holy Spirit will transform both the hearers and the Nation of which they are citizens. Finally, it challenges me to aim for more. Settling for second best is not an option when it comes to the salvation and discipleship of souls.

Skins and Sins

2010-02-02T10:28:00.002Z

If you are a parent of children or teenagers, or plan on becoming one in the next few years, then I would recommend that you watch an episode of E4 teen drama, "SKINS". Now in its fourth series, this BAFTA Award winning 'soap' follows the lives of fictional teenagers attending a local college.

One of the main characters is called 'Freddie' and is played by the actor Luke Pasqualino. Interviewed recently on Channel 5, he was asked if SKINS was a true and accurate representation of teen life today. Although he acknowledged some of it has been 'glamorised' to make good tv, he agreed. I watched the first episode of the new series and I would agree with Pasqualino: SKINS does capture something of the zeitgeist of modern day teenagers and helps us understand the sort of culture in which they have to live in 21st Century Britain. We must not be naive and it concerns me that so many of us really have no idea what teens have to contend with today and most importantly, what our role is in equipping and supporting young men and women of God through whom the power of His Holy Spirit will flow, to save and disciple this next generation.

Be warned though, SKINS is not for the faint hearted and is peppered with expletives, full of drunkenness, casual drug abuse, aggression and sexual immorality. It will offend your spirit but you will be under no illusions about what young people are up against today and, in my view, will help you pray more strategically and with greater insight; we need to know our enemy (i.e. the devil, not young people).

Listen to what Paul writes in 2 Tim 3:1-5 (The Message), "Don't be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust and allergic to God."

SKINS captures this perfectly.

This Blog entry is not designed to depress you nor produce fear in you. I believe that Jesus has defeated the enemy and we (including our teenage kids) can live in the fullness of that victory today. He is just as relevant to day as He was 2000 years ago and seeing these characters in SKINS act out lives that are not that dissimilar from most teens today, should spur us on to share this message and equip our own youth to do the same. I am a firm believer that the best evangelists for young people are young people! As society gets darker, the light of Christ will burn brighter and brighter in the lives of His true disciples and, as we know from the Bible, the power of His Gospel can and will make a difference that will be evident to all.